1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a holder-equipped connector of a vehicle use, wherein a connector housing thereof is downsized.
2. Description of the Related Art
A connector housing 110 shown FIG. 33 and FIG. 34 and a connector housing 110xe2x80x2 shown in FIG. 35 each are surrounded with respective peripheral walls 112,112xe2x80x2 formed with ceiling walls 112a, bottom walls 112b and sidewalls 112c,112cxe2x80x2. Terminal accommodating chambers 111a, rear openings 111b and front openings 112d,112dxe2x80x2 are formed on the respective connector housings 110,110xe2x80x2. And, the terminal accommodating chamber 111a is surrounded with a partition wall 111c continuing from a locking lance 111g, a front horizontal partition wall 111cxe2x80x2, a vertical partition wall 111d and a rear horizontal partition wall 111e. 
The lance 111g engages a male terminal 140 in the terminal accommodating chamber 111a of the connector housing 110,110xe2x80x2 and is integrally formed with a partition wall 111c (111cxe2x80x2,111e) of the connector housing 110,110xe2x80x2.
The male terminal 140 has an electrical contact portion 144, a wire connecting portion 141. The electrical contact portion 144 is of a tabular tab type (male tab 144). A cable 150 (wire) is connected to the wire connecting portion 141.
The male terminal 140 positioned at the lower side in the connector housing 110 shown in FIG. 33 is on the way of insertion. The male terminal 140 is inserted in a terminal accommodating chamber 111a from a rear opening 111b of the connector housing 110. As shown in FIG. 34, the male terminal 140 is engaged with a lance 111g provided in the terminal accommodating chamber 111a of the connector housing 110.
As shown in FIG. 33, the male terminal 140 gets over the locking lance 111g pressed by the male terminal 140 and elastically deformed, and subsequently as shown in FIG. 34 the locking lance 111g resiles.
However, the above prior art connector C10 is not a compact nor downsized one, even though, for example, the thickness of a peripheral wail 112, such as a bottom wall 112b, forming the connector housing 110 is reduced, the bending amount of the locking lance 111g is reduced, and the thickness of the locking lance 111g is reduced.
In downsizing the connector C10 shown in FIG. 33 and FIG. 34, it is effective to reduce a distance Lh.
However, if the above dimension Lh is reduced to Lhxe2x80x2 (FIG. 35) without changing the positional relation between the terminal 140 and the locking lance 111g or the form thereof, the bending amount of the locking lance 111g provided on the connector housing 110 is not secured. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 35, the terminal 140 can not be inserted into the lower terminal accommodating chamber 111a of the connector housing 110xe2x80x2.
A difference between a dimension Lj shown in FIG. 33 and a dimension Li shown in FIG. 34 is the bending amount of the locking lance 111g. As understood from FIG. 33, a dimension Lk is required when the terminal 140 is inserted into the lower terminal insertion chamber 111a of the connector housing 110.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a holder-equipped connector, for use in a motor vehicle, wherein a connector housing thereof is downsized without making a large design change while keeping a mechanical strength of the connector housing.
In order to achieve the above object, as a first aspect of the present invention, a holder-equipped connector comprises: a terminal; a connector housing provided with a lance to primarily lock the terminal; and a holder to hold the terminal, wherein a relief portion to secure a bending amount of the lance, being bent when the terminal is attached to the connector housing, is provided on a basewall of the connector housing.
According to the above structure, because the relief portion securing the bending amount of the lance is provided on the basewall of the connector housing, the lance pushed and bent by the terminal does not interfere with the basewall of the connector housing with all the downsized connector housing when the terminal is inserted into the connector housing.
As a second aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, the relief portion is a groove provided from a front opening of the connector housing to a vicinity of a root of the lance linearly in a terminal inserting direction.
According to the above structure, because the groove securing the bending amount of the lance is provided in the terminal inserting direction, the mechanical strength required for the connector housing is secured though the connector housing is downsized.
As a third aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, a pair of tapered planes are provided on a surface, facing the basewall, of the lance, and a pair of slanting planes are provided on the relief portion formed on the basewall of the connector housing correspondingly to the pair of tapered plane.
According to the above structure, when the lance is bent by the terminal, the lance can smoothly enter the relief portion provided on the basewall of the connector housing.
As a fourth aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, the relief portion is a groove provided from one sidewall to the other sidewall of the connector housing in a direction orthogonal to a terminal inserting direction.
According to the above structure, because the groove securing the bending amount of the lance can be small, the groove does not almost affect the mechanical strength of the connector housing.
As a fifth aspect of the present invention, based on any one of the first to fourth aspects, the holder-equipped connector further comprises: a spacer to secondarily lock the terminal to the connector housing, wherein the spacer provisionally engaging the connector housing finally engages the connector housing when the spacer is further deeply inserted from a side of the basewall of the connector housing, and the terminal is double locked by the lance formed integrally with a terminal accommodating chamber of the connector housing and by a slanting partition wall formed on the spacer.
According to the above structure, because the terminal is securely double-locked by the connector housing and the spacer, the terminal can be prevented from coming off even if the cable (wire) connected to the terminal is strongly pulled.
As a sixth aspect of the present invention, based on any one of the first to fourth aspects, the holder-equipped connector further comprises: a spacer to secondarily lock the terminal to the connector housing, wherein the spacer finally engages the connector housing when the spacer is inserted from a side of the basewall of the connector housing, and the terminal is double locked by the lance formed integrally with a terminal accommodating chamber of the connector housing and by a partition wall formed on the spacer.
According to the above structure, because the terminal is securely double-locked by the connector housing and the spacer, the terminal can be prevented from coming off even if the cable (wire) connected to the terminal is strongly pulled.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.